In April 2017 business rates will go up by an average of 35% across Lambeth following the government’s review of business rateable values. Restaurants, pubs, cafes and shops in Lambeth’s town centres are some of the worst affected businesses. Hear the views of local business owners on this video.

After talking to local businesses about this huge tax increase the council has written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The letter asks the government to urgently help businesses by introducing the massive rise over several years and give a better deal on transitional relief. Government should look again at the effectiveness of the business rates system for the longer term future.

The Tory government is looking at reducing funding to Lambeth schools by up to 20% . They want to fund schools at the same national rate ignoring the extra costs of London schools.

Thanks to pressure from parents, teachers and councillors, the government’s 20% school funding cut has been delayed by one year – but the Tories still want to make the cuts in 2018/19.

Local families and your Labour councillors want to protect funding levels for our schools. Lambeth schools are in the top 10% of schools nationally with 90% of all our primary schools and 100% of our secondary schools getting a good or outstanding rating.

In the government’s latest budget statement on 23/11/16 the only mention of additional funding for schools was another £240m for opening new selective (grammar) schools, funding to Independent (Public) and faith schools to open new schools. These unpopular government proposals are opposed by most people involved in education and will do nothing to address the problems of ordinary state schools and the growing teacher shortage. Consultation on the government’s proposals to re-introduce selective grammar schools ends on Monday 12th December – see : https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/schools-that-work-for-everyone/. Make sure you have your say.

West Norwood now has its own cycle shop – Bon Velo at 495 Norwood Road SE27 9DJ ( in the former Conservative Association shop) run by John & Karina. The shop sells a range of adult and children’s bikes and there is a cycle maintenance service too. Bon Velo also sells coffee!

Developers have submitted planning application 16/04089 to widen the access to Knollys Goods Yard. This triangular shaped land is surrounded by railway tracks and has only one access point by Cameron Place SW16 2HQ, off Knollys Road. The plan is to turn the narrow one-way entrance, pictured above, into two-lanes with a raised pavement for pedestrians [see picture right]

For more information and to comment on the planning application quote ref 16/04089 on the Lambeth Planning Portal Deadline for comments is 30th November.

Developers are working on plans to develop a new neighbourhood in Knollys Goods Yard with work spaces and new homes. To attend a workshop discussing this new neighbourhood contact 020 7234 3337. There will be a public consultation event early in 2017.

When the council gives planning permission for new buildings and developments – developers provide the council with payments to fund local improvements. This money is called CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy).

To suggest the sort of priorities & projects this money should be spent on please complete this short online survey. The deadline is 23rd December. Ideas for Norwood’s residential areas are particularly welcome.

The results from other recent consultations – West Norwood and Tulse Hill Masterplan refresh, Commonplace and StreetWorks will be taken into account. The conclusions will be published as Norwood’s Cooperative Local Investment Plan (or CLIP for short) in early 2017 and inform investment decisions in the local area for the next three years.

A water main under Leigham Vale burst on the morning of Saturday 15th October flooding homes & businesses and cutting off the water supply to many homes. The water supply was restored later that afternoon. Anyone with property damaged by this flood should contact Laura Edwards at Thames Water on 07747 644 661.

Leigham Vale from Norwood Road

Leigham Vale will be closed to through traffic while Thames Water repair the burst water main . They expect the repair to take at least two weeks working 8am to 7pm each day. Leigham Vale road is closed between the rail bridge and the junction with Kinfauns Road SW2 3JL. The pavement should re-open for pedestrians by the end of Tuesday 18th October.